Thais march on Singapore embassy in thousands
Tue Mar 21, 2006 5:55 AM GMT173
Printer Friendly | Email Article | RSS
By Ed Cropley
BANGKOK (Reuters) - Around 5,000 Thais marched on the Singapore
embassy in Bangkok on Tuesday to press a campaign to oust Prime
Minister Thaksin Shinawatra as the Election Commission said it
could not postpone an April 2 snap election.
"Thaksin, get out," the crowd chanted as its leaders called on
Singapore and its state-owned investment arm, Temasek, to reverse
the tax-free, $1.9 billion (1.08 billion pounds) purchase from
Thaksin's relatives of Shin Corp, the telecommunications empire he
founded.
"On behalf of the Thai people, we politely request you stop
colluding with Thaksin Shinawatra in raping the assets of
Thailand," campaign leader Sondhi Limthongkul said through
loudspeakers aimed at the grey embassy compound.
Singapore has shrugged off two previous, smaller demonstrations
spawned by the middle-class metropolitan street campaign to kick
out Thaksin and said they would not affect ties between the two
southeast Asian nations.
"With ministers, with prime ministers, we've always had good
relationships," the city state's foreign minister George Yeo said
at the weekend after anti-Thaksin protesters launched a boycott of
all things Singaporean.
"This will continue so I'm not too worried about these various
demonstrations. We're just being used by various parties to hit at
each other," Yeo said.
The boycott does not appear to be having much impact on consumers,
but Singaporean visitors to Bangkok have expressed worries about
possible violence and Singaporean investors have delayed property
investment projects.
Around 30 police blocked the entrance to the downtown Bangkok
embassy, although the crowd was good-natured and well-marshalled --
despite its anger at Thaksin.
Hundreds of "Wanted, Dead or Alive" posters depicted Thaksin, who
stands alone in Thailand's coup-prone history as the only elected
leader to complete a full term in office, as Adolf Hitler, with a
black swastika on his forehead.
"He cheats, he's corrupt, he doesn't pay taxes -- unlike the rest
of us," said 39-year-old beautician Lek Udomsak.
Thaksin, who was in the northern province of Chiang Rai campaigning
for the snap poll he called on April 2, said he had no problem with
protests as long as they did not trouble others. "Law enforcers are
supposed to keep law and order. As long as their rallies are done
democratically and do not cause trouble to anybody, that should be
fine," he told reporters.
The three main opposition parties, who accuse Thaksin of
corruption, cronyism and abuse of power, are boycotting the poll, a
move which makes it highly likely the result will be able to
satisfy the constitution and allow a new government to be
formed.
However, Election Commission chairman Wassana Permlap, who had
promised a decision this week on whether to postpone a poll called
three years early, said such a ruling was not within his
powers.
"The law doesn't allow me to set the election date," Wassana told a
Bangkok radio station, adding only Thaksin could make that
decision.
(Additional reporting by Panarat Thepgumpanat)
© Reuters 2006. All Rights Reserved.
